SEFTON is to get a “super police station” costing nearly £30million – but its arrival could be at least a decade down the line.

Merseyside Police Authority (MPA) has agreed to press ahead with a major £220m scheme to build an Area Command Centre (ACC) in each of the six Merseyside Police zones.

Once in place, a number of “area-wide functions” would be centralised within each new station, the location of which in Sefton is yet to be decided.

The scheme has already sparked a campaign against police station closures in Wirral, where it has been claimed a number are now in danger of being shut.

But MPA treasurer Paul Johnson has branded that speculation “scaremongering and premature”.

He told the Visiter: “Absolutely nothing will close until there is a better and improved asset to replace it.”

The MPA says the arrival of an ACC will only affect existing police stations in the “immediate neighbourhood”.

Each “super police station” is also expected to be accompanied by a general enquiry office.

Mr Johnson added: “It will massively improve the profile of the police in the area and will improve access by the public to the police.

“This is a long-term plan that, depending on the availability of finance, could take at least 10 years to roll out in full, although the authority is looking at ways to minimise this timescale.”

Consultants Turner & Townsend have unveiled two alternative designs for the stations – costing £29.2m and £28.5m – while the cost would swell by a further £8.9m on each site if MPA opts to include 22-cell custody suites.

One option for coming up with the cash is to use the Government’s controversial Private Finance Initiative.

MPA chairman Councillor Bill Weightman said: “We would have to be dragged kicking and screaming down that route.”

Councillor Geoff Howe, a Sefton representative on the MPA, said bringing an ACC to the borough would not reduce its overall number of stations.

He cited the handling of “hate crime” as one specialist function that could be brought within the ACC, but insisted “neighbourhood (policing), response and CID will remain over the borough.”

But Philip Griffiths, North West chairman of the UK Independence Party, has questioned how ploughing into ACCs would reduce crime rates.

He said: If they are going to spend such an amount of money – a bill ultimately paid for by the taxpayers – it would be better to invest in recruiting more beat officers.”